Cooper Flagg has been named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, claiming the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy after a historic freshman season with the Dallas Mavericks that drew inevitable comparisons to the sport’s all-time greats.
The 19-year-old forward averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. In doing so, he became the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in all four major statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists and steals.
A vote that reflected clear consensus
Flagg edged Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel by just 26 points in the voting, with 100 NBA reporters and broadcasters ranking their top-three rookies. Flagg earned 12 more first-place votes than Knueppel, reflecting a clear consensus at the top even if the final tallies were tight. Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe was the third finalist.
“Happy to win, but moving forward is the goal,” Flagg told The Athletic – a telling quote from a teenager who led a 26-56 team through an entire season without letting the record define his effort.
The numbers that made history
The milestone that caught the most attention came on April 3, when Flagg poured in 51 points against the Orlando Magic – becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 50-plus in a game, at 19 years and 103 days old. He surpassed the previous record set by Brandon Jennings at 20 years and 52 days. Earlier, in January, he had notched a then-career-high 49 points, becoming the highest-scoring teenager in NBA history at that point.
His numbers held up under scrutiny all season: 46.8 percent shooting from the field is genuinely efficient for a 19-year-old handling a 33-percent usage rate on a rebuilding squad. The 3-point shot at 29.5 percent remains a work in progress, but scouts point to a clean release and high volume of attempts as reasons for optimism heading into year two.
Third Maverick to win the award
Flagg joins an exclusive Dallas club. Jason Kidd shared the 1995 Rookie of the Year honor with Grant Hill, and Luka Dončić won it outright in 2019. Despite finishing 26-56, the Mavericks now hold one of the league’s most promising young cores, with Flagg as the anchor. He averaged 21.0 points in his final 20 games of the season – a sign his game was still climbing when the year ended.
Sources: NBA.com (official), Yahoo Sports
